The use of the 9-1-1 number sequence to route telephone calls related to public safety is a well-known feature in many areas. As a 9-1-1 call is received by a central switching office (CSO) of the public switched telephone network (PSTN), the central switching office recognizes the number sequence as being a public safety call and routes the call to a public safety attended position (PSAP) at a local municipality.
An agent of the local municipality assigned to the PSAP takes the call and collects information from the caller (e.g., the reason for the call, the name of the caller, the address, etc.). Based upon the nature of the call, the agent may request assistance from the appropriate public service agency (e.g., police, fire, social services, etc.) and direct the requested assistance to the collected address.
In some areas, processing of 9-1-1 calls is expedited by information provided by the local CSO of the PSTN. For instance, automatic number identification (ANI) services operating from within the PSTN may be used to provide a telephone number of a caller to the PSAP agent at the same time as the call is delivered to the agent.
With the telephone number of the caller, the PSAP agent may be to help the caller without any further information. For example, if the caller is a young child who cannot give or does not know the address, the PSAP agent may determine the address based upon the telephone number. With the address, the PSAP agent may dispatch a social services worker or the police to further determine the source of the problem. Similarly, if the PSAP agent hears sounds of a struggle or choking, the PSAP agent may dispatch help in some appropriate manner.
While the existing method of processing 9-1-1 calls is effective in some cases, it deficient in others. For example, without any indication of a reason for a call, all calls must be routed to a common public service dispatcher. The common dispatcher must then, if possible, determine the reason for a call and forward the call to the proper public service agency, thereby providing an extra step in the resolution of the problem. Further, when civil strife or public emergency arises, the call processing capability of local PSAP agents may be quickly exceeded. Accordingly, a need exists for a method of processing 9-1-1 calls that is dynamic in nature and able to route calls based upon a context of the call.